The introduction of a national system of performance-related pay for teachers
is in doubt because thousands of schools are failing to implement the
reforms, according to research.

More than one-in-five school governors confirmed that their school had yet to put a process in place to judge teachers’ performance in the classroom, it was revealed.

Just days before the start of the new academic year, it emerged that a further 18 per cent of governors could not explain how the system would work.

Schools are expected to introduce guidelines from September showing staff how pay rises will be tagged to performance, although any changes to salaries will not be made until 2014.

Individual schools have been given complete freedom to define “performance”, with recent government guidance suggesting wages could be linked to teachers’ ability to improve pupils’ exam results, keep order in the classroom or take part in extra-curricular activities.

Ofsted is being given a specific remit to ensure salaries are tied to teaching standards.

But a survey by the Times Educational Supplement in conjunction with the National Governors’ Association found widespread confusion over the reforms, with 20.8 per cent of governors confirming that the system had yet to be implemented.

Some 51 per cent of governors agreed that tying salaries to performance was likely to “improve students’ attainment”, but this was down on the 54 per cent who backed the pay reforms a year earlier.

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was “worrying” that so many schools had yet to implement the reforms.

“Potentially, that could undermine the whole process,” he said.

But a Department for Education spokesman said it was pleasing “that 60.9 per cent of those surveyed have already revised their policies before the start of the new term and expect the remainder to follow suit early in the academic year.”